Those Four Months Afloat
by Teddy Bear Writer
Summary: Tony was an agent afloat, but was he ever aboard the USS Ronald Reagan? This is a Tony-centric story that addresses some of the Tony related plot-bunnies in Season 6. This story is told over the course of seven months. Spoilers for Season 6.


No copyright infringements intended. All characters are the property of NCIS/CBS.

**Author's Note:** **Really need to see Season 6's Agent Afloat and Cloak for this to make sense. Although I have loved season six, I desperately needed some issues/plot ideas to be addressed. I created new ones too. _Was Tony really aboard the Ronald Reagan for three months? Was Ziva in Israel the whole time too, before she had her assignment in Morocco? Does Gibbs really know any of Director Vance's agenda?_

Too many things have been left open for me this year, regarding the Tony DiNozzo character. For starters, his behavior has been questionable, too serious, and almost hostile on occasion. This is my first attempt at NCIS fanfiction. I hope you enjoy this.

**May 2008—On the day of Director Shepard's funeral**

Newly appointed Director Leon Vance jerked at the sound of the knock that he heard on his office door. He glanced over at the clock.

"Come in?"

"Uh, sir?" DiNozzo said as he cautiously entered.

"DiNozzo. What are you still doing here? It is 11pm. You have a very early morning departure to the Ronald Reagan."

"Yes sir. I need to talk to you about that." DiNozzo said.

"Yeah, what about? I am not changing my mind DiNozzo."

"Sir, I understand. I screwed up. . ."

"DiNozzo. This is not a punishment. When you get aboard the Ronald Reagan, you will discover what your real assignment is."

"Sir. Can you just fire me instead?"

"I said it was not a punishment." Vance said.

"I really need to stay here right now." DiNozzo said uneasily. "My father has been sick. The doctors said that he should have passed away months ago."

"I am very sorry to hear that. This is the first that I have heard of this." Vance said changing to a compassionate tone.

"You are the first person that I have told, sir." DiNozzo's comment caused a surprised reaction from Vance.

"I am not going to _fire _you, Agent DiNozzo. I do not want you quitting either." Vance contemplated his decision. "Why don't you take some of your vacation time, then. I need the rest of your team believing that you are an agent afloat, so limit your contact with them. I will have another agent cover your assignment on the Ronald Reagan."

"Thank you for being so understanding, sir." DiNozzo said.

**Late July 2008—before Last Man Standing & Agent Afloat**

"Yes, is this the DiNozzo residence?" Vance impatiently yelled into the phone, after dialing the number of Tony's father's estate. "Hello. I am trying to reach Agent Anthony DiNozzo. His cell phone has been disconnected."

"DiNozzo?" Vance asked again.

"Yes, sir." DiNozzo answered.

"I need you to come back to work, as in _now_. All your vacation time was used up weeks ago, and I need you in Cartagena to board the Seahawk in two weeks."

"Sir. I . . ." DiNozzo started to argue.

"Agent DiNozzo. You are reactivated, effective immediately. Pack your bags, for real this time." Vance ordered.

**November 2008—Set after Cloak**

"Come in." Vance responded to the knock on his door.

"Agent Gibbs. What can I do for you?" Vance asked assertively.

"I just had a conversation with the Commanding Officer of the USS Ronald Reagan in MTAC." Gibbs stated accusingly. "During my conversation with him about our missing marine, I found it rather interesting that he has had the same agent afloat for seven months now. During this talk, I learned that DiNozzo was never aboard the Ronald Reagan. Where was he assigned those three months?"

"It is none of your concern. Focus on your missing marine." Vance ordered. Gibbs first gave a disapproving look at Vance, then turned to head back to the bullpen.

"Ziva? Are DiNozzo and McGee back yet?"

"No. Is there something wrong, Gibbs?" Ziva asked, as she regarded Gibbs.

"Did DiNozzo ever share his assignment with you, when he was an agent afloat?" Gibbs asked.

"No, he never called me when he was afloat. We saw his office on the Seahawk, though . . ." Ziva said.

". . .ever mention the Ronald Reagan?" Gibbs asked.

"No---not specifically." Ziva answered, shaking her head and looking at him curiously.

"I spoke to the commanding officer in MTAC, just twenty minutes ago. DiNozzo was never aboard the Ronald Reagan." Gibbs revealed to Ziva.

They both looked over as the elevator doors opened. McGee and DiNozzo entered the bullpen holding two evidence boxes.

"I'll bring these down to Abby." DiNozzo offered as McGee answered his ringing office phone.

"I will help you with that." Ziva stood up and grabbed a box from DiNozzo. Once they both left, Gibbs looked up to see if Vance was watching him. Since he was not, Gibbs headed down to Abby's lab, also.

"Thanks guys!" Abby said through the blasting rock music, as she headed for the computer in her office. As they were about to leave, Ziva turned to Tony.

"So Tony. Gibbs was just in MTAC talking with the commanding officer of the Ronald Reagan." Ziva asked as she observed Tony's reaction.

"Really?" Tony responded nervously, avoiding her accusing gaze.

"Yeah, and the interesting part was that the commander has never heard of you." Gibbs added to the conversation as he entered into Abby's lab. Tony looked up briefly to see both of their critical stares.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled at him. "What did I say I would do to you, if you ever lied to me again?" DiNozzo froze.

"Hey! What did I say to you right after your car blew up last year?" Gibbs yelled again.

"Boss, Vance did not give me an undercover assignment."

"You were never aboard the Ronald Reagan. What was your assignment those three months?" Gibbs yelled.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled loud enough this time to even make DiNozzo flinch.

"I. . .I uh didn't have an assignment, Boss." DiNozzo repeated, barely audible and avoiding eye contact. "I used all of my vacation time to bury my father, before I was an agent afloat on the Seahawk." This confession froze Gibbs in his tracks, since it was so unexpected. He regarded DiNozzo with an unrecognizable gaze.

"Tony." Ziva responded in concern. ". . ."

"Look. I know I should have told you guys, but it was just so soon after the Director's death. That I. . .I just kept it to myself. We were already grieving. And, Vance wanted you to believe that I was an agent afloat the whole time. Once my vacation time was up, he assigned me to the Seahawk. I never asked why. . ., but honestly I wasn't really thinking about _this._" DiNozzo explained desperately trying to defend himself to Gibbs.

"Tony?" Gibbs said.

"I'm sorry, Boss." Tony said agitated, before quickly making his escape up the stairs. Gibbs and Ziva watched as he made his get away, but they did not react quickly enough to say anything.

"Gibbs?" Ziva turned to face him with a sad expression. "Did you know anything about this?"

"No." Gibbs answered, as he hit the elevator button.

As Ziva and Gibbs entered the bullpen, they watched Tony closely as they approached. He continued to look down and his whole body seemed to tense up as they approached.

"Tony?" Ziva said sadly, as she reached his desk.

"So what is the status on our missing marine?" Vance demanded as he entered from the other direction. This caught all three of them off guard. Gibbs and Ziva turned to their desks.

"Uhhhh, we visited his apartment. Abby is currently analyzing the items that we found." McGee answered after seeing the uncomfortable reactions of his teammates.

"I have another conference scheduled with his commanding officer in MTAC later today." Gibbs answered. "So far, we have no real leads."

"Obviously." Vance said to Gibbs, in an irritated tone. After regarding Gibbs, he looked over at DiNozzo, who was shifting nervously in his chair, as he stared at a file on his desk.

"DiNozzo? Anything to add?" Vance asked.

"No, sir." DiNozzo glanced up for a moment. "We are working on it." After DiNozzo's response, Vance turned back to Gibbs treating him with a threatening stare before leaving. As they watched Vance leave, DiNozzo shot up and exited the bullpen.

"I will follow. . .?" Ziva started to say to Gibbs.

"No. I started this." Gibbs answered as he followed DiNozzo to the men's room. Gibbs stood blocking the main door, waiting for DiNozzo to finish. DiNozzo's eyes followed the floor tiles as he exited his stall. Then, he jumped when he saw Gibbs standing there.

"Boss!" DiNozzo said, startled. He nervously went over to the sink, as he gave sideway glances to Gibbs.

"Tony? You all right?" Gibbs asked softly.

"You haven't called me Tony in months, Boss. Ever since Fornell accused me of murdering the Frog, you stopped calling me Tony." Tony said with a chuckle. Gibbs cocked his head waiting for an answer.

"I am fine. Thanks for asking." DiNozzo answered, then turned to leave the bathroom, but Gibbs was still blocking the main door.

"He was sick for a while, Boss. I just needed to spend that time with him, before he. . ." DiNozzo started to explain. "I spoke to Vance right after he reassigned all of us. He did have a special assignment planned for me, when I got aboard the Ronald Reagan. I never found out what that was though. At first, I wanted him to just fire me because I thought the assignment was punishment. After I told him about my dad, he talked me into using my vacation time. It was. . .I was able to spend a lot of time with him. And, I was able to get his affairs in order." DiNozzo rambled off the details to Gibbs, as he tried to hold in his emotions.

"Tony." Gibbs said softly while grimacing.

"It's okay, Boss." Tony said sadly. "I am fine."

"Tony." Gibbs said again sadly. "I. . ."

"Boss, it is okay. You don't have to say anything." Gibbs nodded and grinned, as he regarded Tony.

"Did Vance give you a hard time about this?" Gibbs asked.

"Uh, no not really. Why?"

"You don't like him very much do you?" Gibbs added.

"Uh, why. . .why would you say that?" Tony asked nervously.

"The Toothpick?" Gibbs repeated Tony's words. "You expressed some very strong feelings about him to Ducky and me, just a little while back, Tony."

"I just don't like being played." Tony said nervously looking down.

"Are you that unhappy with your job, now?" Gibbs asked.

"No, really, everything is good, Boss. And, I know what you are thinking, too. I always said I would do _nothing_, when I got my inheritance. Well, my stepmom is keeping the estate. My uncle is running my dad's business. And, I um, well, I have always had a trust fund. I won't actually get what is in my trust fund, though, until I finally get married. _If_ I get married." Tony snickered looking down.

Gibbs regarded him curiously.

"I guess I did lie to you about that, years ago." Tony added.

As he headed for the door, DiNozzo followed. "Let me know, if Vance is giving you a hard time." Gibbs said.

"Yes Boss."

TBC. . .Although this story is complete, I hope to continue these ideas in a future story.


End file.
